Alicekai'd 1.14: Fireplace

 

     I smile. "What's this?" Sure, I'd noticed the fireplace before, but I didn't ever see him use it.

     He chuckles, gesturing to the fire. "It's called a fireplace."

     "Na dur, dummy. I know that. I mean, what are you doing out here?"

     Smirk. "Sitting."

     He pats the seat next to him. "Care to join me?"

     Playing into the goofiness of the moment, I hold my dress and curtsy. Then, in a horribly over-dramatized southern accent, I reply, "Why, I thought you'd never ask." Then I prance over to the bench.

     He laughs.

     "So what prompted this?" If he answers in a silly way, I will shove him.

     He sighs, watching the flames. "It's been a long time since I've used it."

     "It's pretty."

     "And seeing as how the temperature dropped this evening, I thought, 'why not?'" He turns to me and smiles.

     "Good idea." I stare at the flames. His eyes are still on me.

    "THAT is a BEAUTIFUL dress, Alice." No joking. He's totally sincere.

     Still, I'm surprised, and I blush. "Oh. Thanks. I saw it and thought it could help my mood." It makes me think of something a little girl would wear... only not.

     "Well, did it?" His eyes don't leave me.

     "It did." Is he going somewhere with this?

     "I'm glad. Alice, sometimes you worry me."

     "Sorry."

     It's as if I didn't speak. "I don't like it when you're down. That's why I didn't want to go to work today."

     "I'm fine."

     "Promise me you won't try to hurt yourself as a method to return to your world."

     "Uh... I'd wondered that WHEN I die, it might happen, but that doesn't mean I'm going to bring it about early."

     "Oh thank plum. Because that would kill me." He pauses then chuckles humorlessly before running his fingers through his hair and muttering, "I am bombing this."

 

     "What?" What is he talking about.

     He looks up towards the sky. "If this IS a game, could I get a control-Z here?"

     That makes me giggle. "Would we even notice if it happened?"

     "The last thing I wanted to do was sit here and talk about death."

     "Then we'll change the subject. What, um, how is it going at work in regards to my problem?"

     He sighs heavily.
 

     "There's a lady at work, um, an advanced being, whom we go to with big questions."

     "An advanced being?"

     "Don't ask."

     "You mean an alien?" I watch his expression. "Oh, come on, Geoff. I've played this as a game, remember? There are aliens and ghosts and witches and vampires and werewolves and all that stuff."

     "Vampires and werewolves?" He watches me nod. "Not that any of us have come in contact with."

     "Well, maybe they're hiding." He doesn't buy that. "Or... maybe... they haven't been IMPLEMENTED." I look up at the sky. "So you don't like the vampires and werewolves, huh?"

     No answer.

     "Anyway," Geoff continues, "she told me that the possibility of going side-to-side transference is possible, but up and down isn't."

     "Huh? Down?"

     "This world you say is a simulation has its own simulation games, does it not?"

     "I think my head just exploded," I tell him in dry humor. "The Matrix and Inception combined?"

     "Uh, what?"

     I explain to him that they're movies and then tell the plot for each.

     "I would love that..." his voice drifts off in a dreamy way. "Nearly infinite time to spend with the one you love."

    "I keep distracting you." I want him to continue to tell me what the alien said.

 

    "Yes, you're very good at that." 

    "Sorry."

    "Oh, it's fine. I like your distractions."

    That was a little TOO serious.

    Even with the fire going, a light breeze cuts straight through the sheer fabric of my sleeves, and I rub my arms to warm them up.

    "Cold?"

    "I'm fine."

    He slides closer.

     What the hell does he think he's doing? Yep. He did it.

 

     "Better?"

     "What are you trying to pull here, Geoffrey?"

     In a voice that's totally full of crap, he answers, "What...? You said you were cold." His warm hand rubs up and down my arm. "I'm warming you up."

     "Are we suddenly in high school and someone forgot to inform me?" I ask as his nose goes into my hair.

     "Fun, isn't it?" he mumbles into my ear. As his face starts to move to the front, I put my hand over it and shove him backwards.

      "Cool it, loverboy." This new game of his is touching too close to serious.

 

     "Sorry. Sorry. I got... carried away." He winces.

     I feel better now, but I notice his arm hasn't left my shoulder. I try to return to the real topic of the conversation. "So she said up and down wasn't possible?"

     "Right. She said the consciousness wouldn't be compatible or something like that."

     "Turns out she's wrong." I don't look directly at him, but I see Geoffrey put his free hand on his forehead. "But... if the aliens can't do it with wormholes or whatever, what are we going to do?"

     The change in his voice takes me by surprise. "Why do we HAVE to do something about it? What if you're here for a reason? Honestly, Alice, is it really THAT bad here?"

 

     My voice sounds small. "I want to go home."

     He turns towards me, his face inches from mine. "THIS could be your home. You can live here, in THIS world. You've been doing it already anyway."

     "And doing a piss poor job of it, too." I turn my face away.

     "I wouldn't say that. Look at everything you've done in a short time."

     "You're a published author. You almost have a college degree. You're a pro at turning eggs into cement. You have men falling all over themselves just to get you to look at them."

     "And that got me plastered all over social media looking like a brazen hussy."

     "One little, tiny mistake. Minuscule. And all those people laughing are probably jealous. You're LIVING LIFE, Alice. Why do you still want to leave it?" His free hand reaches for my chin, but I push him away. He retreats.

     "Stay with us. Here," he finishes.

     "You don't want to help me anymore?"

 

     He wilts into a frustrated groan, and he puts his head in his hands. "I want to, but only because it's what you want. But I don't think it's possible."

     "So... So I'm truly stuck."

     He sighs. "I think so. Yes."

     I close my eyes. I'm going to have to take this seriously now. This is my new reality. 

     Geoffrey interrupts my thoughts. "Alice, I need to talk to you. My timing and execution of what I want to say thus far has been a disaster."

     "What are you talking about? Geoff, please. I've just been told my life will never be the same again."

    He sighs. "Of course." He takes a breath. "Of course you're right. I just handed you one of the biggest disappointments of your life. I can't help." He pauses, looking at the stars. "I am really very sorry, Alice."

     "When were you planning on telling me this? When, if I hadn't have asked earlier, would I find out?"

     "I don't know... Tomorrow? I thought, 'maybe one more day.' I thought maybe I could change your mind and it wouldn't matter." He whispers, "I thought I could still find a way to be the hero."

      "It could still happen. I mean, it's totally unlikely, but it might."

      "Yeah. Sure," he replies, not believing a word of it.